Checkpoint

• Main Authors: Ang, Tiffany Si Ying, Lee, Daniel Hong Fatt, Sucipto, Lucia, Yeo, Hock Chuan
• Other Authors: Draper, Nicole Lorraine
• Format: Final Year Project
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Mass media::Broadcasting::Motion pictures and films::Production management
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/1152
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The following report details the creation process of CHECKPOINT, a video documentary produced as part of the Final Year Project at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information, Nanyang Technological University. We hope that this report can also serve as a reference guide for those who wish to understand more about documentary-making as seen through our eyes. The first chapters highlight the objective and background of the documentary. These are followed by an overview of the research, pre-production, planning, production and post-production processes, as well as a discussion of the development of along the production of the video and the challenges we faced and how we resolved them. We also talk about the concept and treatment that we are going for in the video. Singapore has always been welcoming to foreigners who can contribute to the country. The interest over “foreign talent” is not something new: Singapore 21Campaign at the turn of the millennium urged Singaporeans to open their arms towards “talented foreigners” who “contribute to (Singapore’s) development and progress”1, and this in turn has highlighted Singaporeans’ worry that “foreign talent” in Singapore would steal their rice bowls, starting wide social discussions. Yet there are certain matters pertaining to the issue that deserve our scrutiny. One of these is the divide between skilled and professional talent and semi-skilled or unskilled foreigners. The common understanding was that foreigners who qualify and would be granted PR are the professional talent rather than the semi-skilled or unskilled foreigners, due to the former’s ability to make professional contributions that the latter could not offer. As such, more often than not, semi-skilled and unskilled foreigners in Singapore fail to fall within the category of “Foreign Talent”.